Sahel and West Africa Food Security Update, December 2009

- Off-season
farming activities are increasingly widespread and, in certain cases, harvests
are already underway, providing a diversified food supply and income for
interested population groups. Thus, households in Sudanian areas are generally
food secure while those in other parts of the area, particularly in the
Eastern Sahel, are moderately food-insecure.

- However, the food access of pastoral
groups, whose livestock sales on major markets in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire,
and Senegal have been slow due to weak household purchasing power, is beginning
to cause concerns. This year, the livestock sold by an average household
did not command the same high prices generally associated with the Tabaski
holiday season, eroding their income at a time of need.